Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-2017)

The sheer scale of the artist’s work is astounding. From early on she began producing enormous sculptural forms woven from burlap, hemp and horsehair, labelled ‘Abakans’ after her own name. These enormous masses are both overwhelming and meditative; they explore utilitarian materials and push them to a new, elevated realm. Later, she moved on to figures – nearly always in groups – which create a ghostly imprint that inhabit both positive and negative space. The roughly formed shapes seem fluid yet weighed down, and the headless masses immediately call to mind the faceless crowds of communism’s collective consciousness.